Ranma/Eva][Fusion]Crossed Destinies
by Nabiki Saotome
Summary: What if the Evangelion backstory was played out by an entirely different cast?


Rumiko Takahashi and others own the characters below, not   
me! ^^;;  
  
Events happen sometime before NGE TV series starts and   
after Ranma series ends. Warning, this gets a bit lemony   
fresh.  
  
Comments/Criticisms/Flames/MSTs/etc all appreciated.  
  
Crossed Destinies  
-----------------  
Author: N.S.  
  
"Ranma, stop fidgeting. If you didn't make it, there's   
always another year of cram school. Who told you to wait   
two years before trying to get in?" Akane said as she   
dragged Ranma with her to one side of the clearing. Her   
own nervousness was betrayed by her iron grip on his wrist.   
It was funny how calm she was six months ago compared to   
the wreck she was now. That might have had something to do   
with the boy beside her.  
  
"I am not fidgeting. Your hand is cutting the circulation   
to my arm. I'm just trying to get the blood flowing."  
  
Akane rolled her eyes, but decided not to say anything.   
The sound of his voice told her how anxious he was and he   
probably couldn't take any teasing right now. She quickly   
scanned the boards for her number. This was it. The   
moment of truth... and it was there. "I did it! I   
passed!"  
  
"I don't know why you're so worried. You looked so   
confident going in this year. Plus you took two years of   
pre-college."  
  
Idiot. It was because of him again and of course he was   
too blind to see it. She didn't know what made him change   
his mind about going to university half a year ago, but   
ever since then, her nerves had become frayed with constant   
worry and anticipation. Her waiting for him to make a   
decision had paid off. "Ranma! Your number! It's there!   
We can go to university together."  
  
"Of course it's there. I wasn't worried at all."  
  
Akane didn't want to ruin her good mood by smacking him.   
"All three sisters going to the same university. Dad's   
going to cry his eyes out. Let's go tell everybody.   
Kasumi said she prepared a little something to celebrate."   
*Or to console Ranma if he failed which nearly everyone had   
thought would happen when he first announced that he would   
try. Six months of preparation was very impressive.  
  
"You go on ahead. I got to stop off somewhere first."  
  
Akane blinked as Ranma left without saying another word.   
*Where was he going?* For once her jealousy was in check   
as she wondered this since both Shampoo and Ukyo were out   
of town.  
  
*^_^*  
  
"Congratulations."  
  
"Thanks, Doc. I couldn't have done it without your help."  
  
"No problem. Though, if you really want to thank me, you   
can stop calling me Doc. I haven't been a chiropractor   
ever since I came back," Tofu admonished.  
  
"Whatever. So can you tell me more about the project now?"  
  
A small smile formed on Tofu's face. "First, you."  
  
Ranma frowned, but he knew it was pointless to argue. Tofu   
would not expunge any information himself unless he was   
sure Ranma had done some work. "Okay, watch carefully."  
  
Tofu's eyes widened slightly as an aura of swirling colors   
enveloped Ranma. Tentatively, he reached out and touched   
Ranma's left temple. Tofu could feel it. The same   
explosion of thoughts and emotions that Ranma had first   
shown him. This time, though, as he tried to draw his hand   
back away, the feeling of being merged did not leave   
immediately. It took another minute before it was gone.   
"You did it."  
  
"No," Ranma shook his head, wincing. It always took a lot   
out of him to do that. "Not quite there yet. Those drugs   
you gave me before just made my control better."  
  
"So, I take it that your theory on how to extend it beyond   
the tactile stage is not yet complete." Tofu nodded to   
himself, satisfied nonetheless. "Those 'drugs' I gave you   
are solidified capsules of what we've been developing.   
They're designed to open your senses. When the liquid   
version is completed we should get more efficiency as it   
resembles liquid oxygen in how it is used."  
  
Tofu paused in his explanation, realizing he was diverging   
from the point. "Now to my end of the deal. Besides, the   
development of the 'liquid', we've discovered Happosai's   
whereabouts. He may be heading to Antarctica."  
  
"He's the key to all this and what he does is run away,"   
Ranma muttered.  
  
"There's no need to concern yourself with him. You need to   
concentrate on developing your theory. You can get that   
development at the university..." Tofu hesitated, before   
continuing, "with Kasumi. The student has surpassed the   
teacher."  
  
Ranma almost spoke up, but he knew nothing he said or did   
would change things. Tofu was a changed man ever since he   
came back to Nerima after his mysterious disappearance four   
years ago. Neither Kasumi's name nor appearance got any   
reaction out of him at all; only a sigh and a regretful   
look. All Tofu seemed to care about was running the now   
rather large company he was the CEO of. It was hard to   
believe that SEELE was now a growing international giant   
when you considered it started as a small company with only   
Tofu and Cologne's backing.  
  
"Remember, Ranma. Only your work can realize my and your   
dream."  
  
*^_^*  
  
[I want to go back, Great-grandmother,] Shampoo said as she   
stared out of the window. There was nothing to see as   
always. The great expanse of the ocean was fast becoming a   
hated sight.  
  
[Not until we find the old lech. The expedition is   
important not only to Ranma and our people, but to the   
entire world.]  
  
[Why do you think he's going to Antarctica? Why does that   
matter to us? Does it have something to do with your last   
visit with Ranma and Dr. Tofu?]  
  
[You ask too many questions. Let's just say you will have   
done a noteworthy thing if you bring Happi back and Ranma   
will be extremely grateful for it.]  
  
*^_^*  
  
*It just wasn't fair sometimes,* Akane thought as she look   
at Ranma's course schedule. With Ukyo at a special cooking   
college and Shampoo who knew where, she'd have thought that   
she would have had him all to herself, especially when she   
knew he was going to be going to university with her. It   
had come as a great surprise when she found he had chosen   
courses that worked towards a degree in biology and various   
minors in other hard sciences. She'd thought for sure he   
would be taking Kinesiology like her.  
  
"Hmm... Akane, I think I can switch this option to the one   
you have and switch these timeslots around. Now we'll be   
in at least two classes together each semester this year."  
  
*It's better than nothing,* she supposed, especially since   
Ranma wasn't even supposed to be wanting to come here.   
"No, let me switch this option to the one you have. The   
timeslot is better than mine and yours works towards your   
degree more." That way she'd be sure to have second year   
course that matched his.  
  
Ranma shrugged. With his courses settled, he finally   
relaxed and sank into the grass, where he sat. He was   
starting to enjoy college life. There was always something   
to do even if a lot of it was the working kind. "So, how   
did you like the first day?"  
  
"A bit intimidating so far, but still fun." *It would have   
been more fun if you were with me,* Akane wanted to say.   
But she didn't have the guts to say it first and of course   
Ranma was too stupid to know that.  
  
"You know... I'm thinking of renting an apartment nearby   
here when I get that part-time job Kasumi is setting up for   
me. The rent's pretty cheap. I think there's another room   
close to mine that's available."  
  
Akane could almost feel her heart skip a beat. *THAT was   
sudden.*  
  
"I thought maybe you and a friend or even Nabiki would be   
interested," Ranma continued, pausing only to lick his   
lips. His mouth had gone dry the moment he brought the   
topic up.  
  
"I'll think about it," Akane finally answered. She   
immediately planned how much class time she would miss if   
she rushed over to take the apartment space before anyone   
else could.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Ranma tried to hide his nervousness, but it stuck out like   
a sore thumb with his complete opposite sipping tea beside   
him. "It's easy for you to say. You've graduated and you   
already have a position as a teaching assistant. I have no   
experience whatsoever."  
  
"Dr. Tofu had some friends in the university and they   
pulled some strings to help me attain first year status   
without going through the entrance exams. I doubted I   
would have passed them if I had to take them without two   
years of prep. So you're really in a far better position   
than I was," Kasumi replied simply.  
  
Ranma doubted that. He has had long talks with Kasumi in   
this field they were in. How Kasumi could seem so   
oblivious, yet understand fully the concept Ranma was just   
beginning to grasp was as annoying as it was frustrating.   
"Are you sure he'll hire me? I've already put a deposit on   
the apartment and everything."  
  
"Don't worry. You'll mainly be helping me in my work, so   
this is really just a formality."  
  
Ranma felt himself gain a little more breathing room.   
Kasumi could have told him that earlier. Instead of   
mentioning that however, something else Kasumi said drew   
his attention. "How IS the work coming along?"  
  
Kasumi was surprised at the sudden change in Ranma's voice.   
It gained a serious edge and had none of the anxiety he was   
showing just a second ago. "We've isolated it down to just   
under a hundred factors. The DNA we obtained was the main   
cause for that. But this is all pointless if we don't find   
the catalyst."  
  
"I know I'll find it here with your help," Ranma replied   
confidently.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Ranma yawned and stretched as he got up from his chair.   
The final bell had rung indicating the library was closing   
soon. He looked down at the messy table with his scribbled   
notes scattered all over it. It had been hard trying to   
put everything that had become second nature to him down in   
scientific terms. It was even harder finding evidence to   
support his hypothesis without using himself as an example   
other than as a control.  
  
He pushed away all the theories of ki, souls, and human   
individuality as he gathered his things. Like Kasumi said,   
sometimes a timeout would help with blocks in thinking. As   
he stepped out of the library, he found himself smiling in   
anticipation of seeing Akane. Or course he would need an   
excuse. *Out of sugar? Used twice already this week. TV   
broken? That would let him visit her for another week   
before she suspected anything.*  
  
His thoughts were cut off as he felt someone lurch into   
him. An awful smell alerted him to the fact that the   
person was throwing up on his shoes. "Nabiki?!"  
  
"It's Ranma," Nabiki slurred. "What's up brother-in-law to   
be?"  
  
"Aw, man. Nabiki, you're drunk. Where's your apartment?"  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know, you sly dog you."  
  
"Would you rather I take you to Akane and Yuka's place?"  
  
"No, no, no... here, take this," Nabiki slurred as she held   
out her purse.  
  
*That seemed to have sobered her up a bit.* Ranma reached   
for the purse as it might have her address in it. As he   
unzipped to purse, he noticed two crumpled pictures fall   
out of it as if they had been haphazardly jammed in to the   
purse. One was a picture of that guy, Daichi, Nabiki had   
been seeing since the previous semester. The other was a   
picture of her. The two pieces obviously used to be a   
whole.  
  
*^_^*  
  
"Argh!" Nabiki moaned as she sat up. Definitely a stupid   
thing to do so suddenly after waking up. *What happened   
last night? The last thing I remember is that fifth   
round.*  
  
"The sleeping beast wakes up."  
  
"Oh, it's you," Nabiki said at the familiar sounding boyish   
voice.  
  
"Nice way to greet your hero."  
  
"Yeah, whatever. You brought me home last night? I'll   
take it out of you tab."  
  
"That sounds like you're yourself again. Okay enough to be   
left alone. I have to leave now. Phone Akane later when   
you have time. She's worried sick about you."  
  
"She knows?" Nabiki groaned. Akane acted as if she was the   
older sister. There was nothing worse than being nagged on   
by someone younger.  
  
"You think I'd stay here and wait for you to wake up if she   
didn't tell me to?"  
  
"Sounds like someone is whipped."  
  
"Hey... forget it. Let me pack up my homework and I'll be   
gone."  
  
Nabiki stopped herself from making a comment on 'Ranma' and   
'homework'. Her head hurt too much to argue with her   
favorite punching bag. As she waited impatiently for Ranma   
to pack up his things, she noticed her purse by the table.   
"How'd you know where I lived and how'd you get in?"  
  
"You gave me your purse and I looked through it..." Ranma   
said without thinking. *Ack, forgot about that picture.*   
"It was too dark to see anything, but I could find your   
keys. Akane told me where you lived, so I remembered."   
Ranma prayed that Nabiki had told her sister where she   
lived.  
  
"I see."  
  
Ranma packed the rest of his stuff hurriedly, not caring if   
anything ripped as he jammed them into his bag. Not a word   
more was said as Ranma slinked out of the room. As he   
closed the door, he could see Nabiki still staring at her   
purse.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Ranma didn't know what exactly he was doing as he hid in   
the bushes. He really should tell Akane about it. Knowing   
her, she might blow the whole thing out of proportion if   
she thought her sister was hurt. He had to make sure   
himself, and if what he thought was true, then he'd help   
Akane out in beating the jerk up. He could just imagine   
what sort of depraved animal this guy might be. To make   
someone like Nabiki of all people like this had to be some   
piece of work.  
  
"Honestly, you're better without her. She was just using   
you, you know. She was a gold digger."  
  
Ranma perked up. His wait was not in vain as he heard   
Daichi's friend change the topic.  
  
"Watch your mouth," Daichi warned angrily. "If she were a   
gold digger, she would have said yes."  
  
"Oh, come on. You've spent a small fortune dating her.   
I've heard from other people that she used to do this all   
through high school."  
  
"Don't you get it? I loved her. She could have milked me   
completely dry and I wouldn't care as long as she said yes.   
But she wouldn't. I said I'd give her time, but she said   
the answer would be the same. She just didn't feel that   
way about me."  
  
"Come on, I'll buy you a beer."  
  
Ranma waited until the two guys left before he leapt out of   
the bushes. That had not been what he had been expecting.   
Nabiki wasn't dumped, SHE dumped him.  
  
*^_^*  
  
"This seat taken?"  
  
"Ranma? You in a library? Has hell frozen over?"  
  
"Business ethics," Ranma said aloud, pointing to the book   
Nabiki was reading. "Isn't that a foreign language for   
you?"  
  
A small vein popped up on Nabiki's forhead. The years of   
verbal sparring and an actual education seemed to have done   
Ranma SOME good. "What's that in your hand? Biology text?   
Trying to find out more about your better half or are you   
and Akane 'experimenting'."  
  
Ranma flushed red, but kept his cool, not giving Nabiki the   
satisfaction. "Tongue as sharp as ever. It's amazing you   
don't slice your lips when you talk."  
  
Nabiki didn't even notice as Ranma took a seat at her table   
as she prepared another barb.  
  
*^_^*  
  
"A new boy friend already, Nabiki?" Ichiko asked as she   
took the seat Ranma had occupied just a moment ago.  
  
Nabiki shook her head as two of her friends joined her   
table. "Him? You've got to be kidding."  
  
"Hey, what's wrong with Ranma," Minami asked defensively.  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes. Minami had a crush on every boy in   
the school it seemed. "How much time have you got, an hour   
before next class? I can tell you everything that's wrong   
with him and still not be finished."  
  
Ichiko raised an eyebrow at this. "He's on several varsity   
teams which all have winning records. And he's not just a   
jock, since I've heard there's a chance he'll make the   
dean's list."  
  
"Let me guess. He's got Kinesiology classes and a ton of   
options?" Nabiki said derisively, before recalling the   
biology text in his hands. She expected that Ranma would   
excel in the sports. When she heard that Ranma had gotten   
in to the University with only half a year of prep, she   
guessed that he had gotten in through a sports scholarship.  
  
"Are you sure you know this guy?" Ichiko asked doubtfully.   
"Almost all his classes are hard sciences. Like the   
biology class I had just now. In fact he was in my class."  
  
Minami nodded enthusiastically. "I thought he was a second   
or third year taking an extra science class like we were.   
He's always asking questions in class. At first a lot of   
them were a little dumb, but a lot of what he usually asks   
now, even the prof has to look up. Which was why we were   
surprised to see him here talking with you. I thought it   
was a little strange that I didn't hear his familiar husky   
voice. And here he was skipping class to talk to you,"   
Manami pouted.  
  
Ichiko sighed, also used to their friend's fanaticism with   
the other gender. "You'd think he was the second year and   
you the first year with how you're acting."  
  
Nabiki turned a deaf ear to her two friends as they   
bantered with each other. What was Ranma's motive to seek   
her out? Was it coincidence? She doubted it from what her   
friends said.  
  
"Hey, Nabiki. You still carry Daichi's picture around?"   
Minami teased, pointing at the picture beside Nabiki's   
book.  
  
Nabiki stared at it, noticing if for the first time. It   
must have fallen out of her purse when she took out a pen.  
  
"Shh," Ichiko whispered, elbowing her friend in the ribs   
softly. "Uh, me and Minami are going to get something to   
eat. Do you want to come along?"  
  
*Oh!* Minami thought when she saw Nabiki staring silently   
at the picture. "Yeah, come on, it'll be fun."  
  
Nabiki would have to have been blind if she didn't see the   
by-play between the two girls. She was a little surprised   
they cared, considering she knew them through HIM. As much   
as she was grateful to them for it, at the moment, they   
were too much of a reminder of him. "No, I think I'll stay   
and catch up on my studying."  
  
Nabiki waited until they left before she picked up the   
picture. Ranma had seen it, she was sure. And not just   
today, remembering the night Ranma brought her home. If   
Ranma knew, than Akane knew and she probably put him up to   
it. She groaned at the prospect of her sister trying to   
cheer her up.  
  
*^_^*  
  
"Well? Why don't you tell me what's happening with you and   
your boyfriend. I've heard rumors and I remembered that   
night Ranma phoned me to tell me you were drunk."  
  
"He didn't tell you why I was drunk?"  
  
"He said he thought you and your boyfriend broke up. I   
told him to look after you until you woke up. I'm sorry I   
couldn't come and see you sooner when I heard about Daichi   
and you. I was swamped with two group projects that week."  
  
"So you sent your little hubby instead?" Nabiki asked   
wryly.  
  
"It's not like that," Akane immediately denied, blushing.   
"Uh, he didn't make a mess of it did he? You know how his   
mouth gets sometimes."  
  
Nabiki chuckled inwardly. To any other person, she could   
imagine Ranma's method of 'cheering up' would earn him a   
slap. For Nabiki it was exactly what she needed. She   
didn't go for that warm and touchy feely type consoling her   
two sisters loved to prescribe. His method left her angry   
and irritated by him, making her, for one hour, totally   
forget Daichi. "No, Akane, he didn't make a mess of it.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Nabiki was not one to thank anyone especially Ranma. Still   
it gnawed at her conscience. She couldn't understand why.   
Over the four years they've known each other, as much as   
she took advantage of him, his penchants from bringing her   
and her family trouble more than made up for it. Well,   
maybe it didn't look like it to the casual observer. But   
her books had it down in writing to the yen that it WAS   
equal, however much Ranma may have thought otherwise. So   
here she was despite her arguments, ready to take him out   
to wherever he wanted and he was saying 'no'?  
  
"Nabiki, let's call it off. Akane said she isn't feeling   
too well and doesn't want to go out."  
  
So much for her plans. Maybe she should have told Akane   
she could come along instead of conspiring with her to make   
this night just with Ranma. No, that wasn't an option.   
She was just going to treat Ranma and skip the 'thank yous'   
which Akane would not have been happy with. "Look, we'll   
bring her a doggy bag or something. You know how much   
trouble I went through to get a night free during mid   
terms?"  
  
Seeing Ranma's doubtful face, she decided to try another   
tactic. "If your chain is too tight or the ball is too   
heavy, I'll go in there and tell her to cut you some slack   
or ease up on you. I'll even tell her that I'll have you   
back by curfew."  
  
Ranma's eye twitched at Nabiki's implication. "You don't   
need to tell Akane anything. Let's go."  
  
*^_^*  
  
"I didn't expect you to be here at all. I thought you'd be   
at home teaching classes or loafing around," Nabiki teased.   
"If I had set up a bet, I doubt I could have put the odds   
high enough."  
  
"Shows what you know," Ranma said, his voice slurring as he   
gestured to the bartender for another.  
  
Nabiki grinned. She was glad that there were some things   
about him that remained unchanged. One of those was his   
drinking ability. While her purpose tonight was to thank   
him indirectly, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to   
wheedle information out of her former cash cow.  
  
So far she'd managed to get out of him his side of the   
story of what she had missed since going to the university.   
It was basically the same stuff every year since Ranma came   
to live at the dojo. Girls popping out of the woodwork,   
martial arts challenges, and general weird stuff that   
Nabiki found she missed. Life was rather boring these days   
and she had half hoped that Ranma would have brought some   
zaniness when she heard he would be attending.  
  
"Say that again, Ranma?" Nabiki paused in her reflection   
when she heard something that interested her. "You're   
working for Mr. Ono now?" The former doctor's SEELE   
corporation was the fastest growing organization in the   
past few years. They had large stakes in computer hardware   
and software, industrial projects, and weapon's   
manufacturing. She had kept tabs on their old doctor for   
business reasons as a probably employer and personal ones   
because of Kasumi.  
  
*It seemed that Kasumi was not the only one to receive   
lucky breaks to get into the university,* Nabiki thought,   
looking at Ranma's drunken, bobbing head. The wheels in   
Nabiki's head started to churn. "Another round," she said   
motioning to the bartender. She never thought her cash cow   
could come back to her.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Ono Tofu remained still as one Tendo Nabiki lay her   
bombshell. She knew about the project. Her knowledge was   
faulty in places, but she had the basic gist of it. "How   
did you find out? It's fairly top secret."  
  
"You really need to find someone better to look after Ranma   
and his co-workers. Brainy type *oh, I never expected to   
use that term for Ranma* have loose tongues when it comes   
to their accomplishments and not to mention a few drinks in   
them. You, yourself, gave me a little further proof. I   
can see why Ranma would want this after hearing him talk   
about it when he was drunk. Kasumi's reason is a no   
brainer after living with her my entire life. But you... I   
must admit, even though you've lived near us as far back as   
I can remember, I don't know much about you. I did a   
little digging."  
  
A this point Nabiki stopped and looked at Tofu's face   
deliberately, searching. "I didn't believe what I found,   
even sitting here in front of you. I may not know much   
about you but I do remember how you were back then. To   
make sure I looked through our old family albums and there   
are pictures of my mother as a child and you. Only you   
were not a child in those photo..."  
  
Tofu held up a hand, stopping Nabiki. He was sure she had   
other proof and wanted to get down to what she wanted.   
"What did you figure to gain with all this. Petty   
blackmail like your days in high school? What you have   
would sound like the ravings of a mad woman."  
  
"I want a position in SEELE. My whole point for trying so   
hard to get into that particular university was because it   
was one of the most prestigious and would have given me a   
good starting point for a job. SEELE would have been the   
type of company that would have interested me.  
  
"A job?" Tofu asked. He could not detect any lie on   
Nabiki's part. While she did not know much about him, he   
knew many things about Nabiki. He had watched her grow up   
from a little baby to the woman she was now. Her quick   
thinking and cool head made an interesting package. A   
package that was only flawed by her mercenary ways and   
tendency to look out only for herself. Still, as she had   
mentioned. He needed someone to look over the scientists.   
He should have known that the profs and Kasumi would not be   
able to keep a tight ship. "Very well. I have something   
that will be perfect for you."  
  
*^_^*  
  
Nabiki rarely was able to shock Kasumi with anything so she   
took her time savoring the moment before answering with a   
grin, "Yep, I'm the project's new assistant executive   
administrator. With Professor Kyonosuke retiring at the   
end of this school year, THEY figured it was time to train   
a replacement to take over."  
  
"I expected either Ranma-kun or myself to eventually fill   
that role." Kasumi was still surprised that her sister of   
all people would be heading their part in the project. She   
loved her sister dearly, but she was also practical.  
  
"Neither you or Ranma or anyone on this project has any   
expertise in administration, Kasumi. Actually, neither did   
Professor Kyonosuke. Your team never stays within its   
budget; how hard is it to keep track of inventory? The   
team is always behind others in its results; time   
management needs serious working on. There are a dozen of   
things I could name off the top of my head that need   
fixing."  
  
"You don't CARE about this project and what it stands for,"   
Kasumi cut in bluntly.  
  
Always to the point, her sister. One of the few things   
they had in common other than their names. "I don't need   
to, to do what I have to do."  
  
*^_^*  
  
Ranma suffered in silence as he walked down the corridor   
with Nabiki at his side. Anger didn't work. Begging   
worsened it. "Look we're almost there, can you stop it,"   
he tried again, appealing to her common sense. Nabiki   
continued to giggle beside him, her body wracked with   
laughter. He breathed a sigh of relief when Nabiki managed   
to get a hold of herself and straighten up. He still   
failed to see the humor in the situation.  
  
Nabiki forced herself to look straight ahead, concentrating   
on the metal detector they passed through. Still, she   
couldn't help but occasionally look at her partner beside   
her. She had seen Ranma in weird getups before, but this   
had to take the cake. One would think that seeing Ranma   
carrying science and math books would have prepared her for   
Ranma the nerd. However the image of Ranma in a lab coat   
with a pocket protector wearing goggles and his hair done   
in a fish net was too much to take all at once.  
  
"I don't know why I have to show you around," Ranma   
grumbled at the prospect of introducing Nabiki to his   
colleagues.  
  
Nabiki smirked. The situation may have changed, the   
Ranma's ego was still in full force. The people here   
actually respected and were in awe of Ranma's brain rather   
than his muscles and he milked the attention for all it was   
worth. "Don't worry, I won't make any comments about you   
being a dumb jock," Nabiki teased.  
  
Ranma sniffed, ignoring that remark. "I still don't see   
why you're here. Wouldn't you rather want a desk job or   
something. Kasumi's right, you don't care about this   
project so you shouldn't be here."  
  
"Since when did you become Kasumi's lap dog?" Nabiki asked.   
"I told her and I'll tell you now. Yes, I don't care about   
it, so what? I'm just going to do my job and then when   
I've graduated, I'm going to get a cushy position in   
SEELE..." Nabiki found herself talking to air. Ranma has   
stopped and was looking ahead at her with a fixed gaze.  
  
"You still don't understand even after you found out about   
everything when you got me drunk?" Ranma asked, shaking his   
head slightly.  
  
"Look, okay, so I don't have all the details, but from what   
I do understand, what you guys want to do is impossible and   
a waste of time. All I care about is to make sure this   
failure is handled administratively correctly."  
  
Ranma grabbed Nabiki's hand and dragged her off the path to   
the laboratory and into a broom closet along the hallway.   
When she tried to yelp, he put a finger to his lips and   
whispered for her to be quiet.  
  
Nabiki tried ripping her hand from Ranma's grasp. He may   
have looked dopey looking at the moment, but behind the lab   
coat was still one of the world's best martial artists and   
his grip was strong as hell. When Ranma closed the door to   
the closet, bathing it with darkness, she found herself   
more than a little frightened. Ranma had changed so much   
from their days in high school, that she wasn't sure that   
he wouldn't try anything.  
  
A light flared. Nabiki thought it was Ranma lighting up   
the bulb in the closet, but she noticed that that light   
that filled the room was not coming from above her and that   
it had a strange ethereal quality to it. Ranma and his   
martial arts tricks no doubt. Fear flooded her again when   
she saw Ranma bring up his glowing hand and touch her...  
  
*^_^*  
  
Ranma paced outside Nabiki's apartment door. Should he   
knock? It'd been two days since his little demonstration   
and Nabiki had not said a word to him since. She had   
cancelled the meeting with the rest of the staff and fled   
with wild eyes back to her place, complaining about   
headache. *That was just dumb,* Ranma scolded himself.  
  
It had been too sudden. Nabiki hadn't been prepared for it   
like Dr. Tofu, Cologne, and Kasumi had been. Akane, who   
had been the first, had acted the exacted same way so that   
should have given him a clue. However, when he recalled   
Nabiki's flippant attitude towards his new focus in life,   
all thought left him in his haste to correct Nabiki's   
behavior.  
  
"Ranma, you can come in. You've been out there for twenty   
minutes. I know because I saw you come in from the   
window," Nabiki shouted from inside her room.  
  
Ranma turned the doornob and found it to be unlocked. He   
was further surprised when he found the mess in the room   
inside. Books and papers were all over the floor with   
Nabiki hovering over them. "What are you doing, Nabiki?"  
  
Nabiki stopped to give Ranma a wry look. "Changing my   
program."  
  
"Wha..."  
  
"This is all thanks to you," Nabiki said, ignoring Ranma's   
confused face. "I'm switching to a biology degree... but   
I'm keeping a minor in business."  
  
Ranma stared at Nabiki. He tried to say something, but he   
was at a loss of what was going on. "What?" he tried   
again.  
  
"Nevermind and come over here and help me pick out some   
spring and summer courses." Ranma WOULD be clueless about   
being the reason she altered her life drastically within a   
minute.  
  
Ranma gave up and walked over to help Nabiki. While he   
looked over the courses Nabiki had chosen, he finally got a   
clue as to her strange behavior. "Isn't this going a bit   
far? You're going to have to redo your second year."  
  
"Let's just say I have confidence in the project now,"   
Nabiki said, shrugging. "Who else did you show that thing   
you did to me to?"  
  
Ranma considered about telling Nabiki this information. It   
was top secret knowledge that only a small group knew   
about. Trusting Nabiki with this informtion would be just   
stupid.  
  
Nabiki could see Ranma's doubt. "Look, you already showed   
me. If I wanted to, I could blab this whole thing out, but   
everyone would think I'm crazy. I believe in this project   
now and I want it to work. But I want to know everything.   
I want to know exactly what I'm getting myself into."  
  
"Akane, Cologne, Dr. Tofu, and Kasumi," Ranma reluctantly   
said. It was partly his responsibility Nabiki was caught   
up in this. "Others know because of their positions in   
SEELE or their ties to the project."  
  
"So, Akane knows about your project?"  
  
"No," Ranma answered hesitantly before correcting himself,   
"well, maybe."  
  
*^_^*  
  
Ranma stared up at the sky. He had felt it again in his   
battle with Mousse today. He was sure Mousse felt it too.   
Duck Boy had been so shocked, he left himself open to   
Ranma's final blow. Ranma sat up, and crossed his legs to   
assume a meditating position. His mind wandered, searching   
for that imperceptible 'thing'. In the peripheral of his   
mind he could sense it. It had always been there, but he   
just never noticed it, he was sure of that.  
  
*Akane alighted softly on the roof, intending to pay Ranma   
back for that little joke he played on her this morning.   
Reprogramming the VCR to record Digimon instead of Pokemon   
was just childish. She smiled when she found him in a   
sitting position, eyes closed. Ranma could sleep in any   
position. Preparing to scare the wits out of him with a   
loud 'boo', she tapped him on his shoulder. It was then   
that she realized that Ranma's body was glowing slightly   
with a rainbow of colors...*  
  
Ranma's eyes shot open at the strange daydream that he had   
just had. He dreamt he was Akane of all people... Ranma   
stared in horror at as two pupil-less eyes stared back at   
him. Akane's hand was on his shoulder.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Nabiki shuddered to hear an account that had been so eerily   
similar to hers. "That was your first clue. I'm betting   
that Akane doesn't know. This isn't the type of thing you   
can let stew inside of yourself. You took this incidence   
to Cologne next, I'm sure. How Dr. Tofu came into this, I   
have no idea."  
  
"Cologne told me to talk to Dr. Tofu actually. She said   
that he would have the resources to help me. The next   
thing I knew, Dr. Tofu had moved back to Nerima."  
  
Nabiki kept to herself her own thoughts on the mysterious   
doctor. "And Kasumi?"  
  
"It seems I wasn't the first to think of this. Kasumi and   
Dr. Tofu had been working on this for a few years before   
and after she graduated, but her ideas never left the   
testing ground. Kasumi's always known or at least as far   
as she could remember. I think it had something to do with   
your mother."  
  
Nabiki's hands involuntarily clenched themselves. "Did you   
put HER there?"  
  
"In your mind? You did it yourself. She's always on the   
outskirts of your thoughts. For everyone it's different."  
  
"You saw it?"  
  
*Crap,* Ranma cursed. Nabiki hated anyone invading her   
privacy, so he quickly deflected the question. "Ah, well   
never mind about that. Anyway you understand the power of   
two joined," Ranma searched for a word since neither soul   
or mind covered the entire spectrum, "individualities.   
Imagine it a billion fold."  
  
"We could change the world. Everyone would literally have   
what they want... I can see why you were interested. Your   
troubles with your girlfriends would be over with. No more   
flinching every time you go girl in front of your mother.   
Akane could have what she wants."  
  
*Sharp,* Ranma admitted grudgingly. "And what are your   
reasons?"  
  
Nabiki looked at Ranma. "I honestly don't know." And she   
didn't. "But I think I'll find it if your project   
succeeds."  
  
*^_^*  
  
"Nabiki, you're spending an awful lot of time with Ranma,"   
Kasumi said as if that was a scandalous thing.  
  
"He's the team project leader. I HAVE to work with him."  
  
"Does that include drinks at the bar every other night? He   
hardly has time to visit... Akane anymore."  
  
A small smile curled on Nabiki's lips as she realized   
something about her sister. "I imagine you spend a lot of   
time with him yourself, Kasumi. Your work is tied   
'intimately' with his own isn't it?"  
  
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response,   
Nabiki"  
  
"You don't need to."  
  
An uncomfortable moment passed between the two sisters, before   
Kasumi spoke up. "I HAVE thought about Akane. Have you?"  
  
"Oh, please. I don't feel that way about Ranma."  
  
"Don't you?" Kasumi asked, quietly sipping her tea.  
  
"I don't," Nabiki said firmly. *I don't,* she reinforced in her   
mind.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Nabiki woke up. She looked to her side and that side of the bed   
was empty. However, she could still see the indent of the person   
that had been there and knew it still retained the warmth of that   
person. She sighed as she rolled herself over, positioning her   
body, molding it so that it filled the indentation. This had been   
how he lay, with her in his arms.  
  
*^_^*  
  
"Ranma, are you listening to me? Honestly, I'm going to have to   
have a talk with Nabiki," Akane said, scowling.  
  
"Nabiki?! Why?! For what?!"  
  
"Ranma you're almost on a nervous breakdown. She's riding you too   
hard."  
  
"Riding me hard?!"  
  
"Oh, brother. You need to blow off some steam," Akane rolled her   
eyes as Ranma once again freaked and began repeating 'blow off'.  
  
*^_^*  
  
"What?" Nabiki asked as Ranma looked at her warily. "Oh, don't   
tell me you're still bothered about that night. We're two grown   
adults, not children."  
  
"Uh, sorry," Ranma said, hanging his head in shame.  
  
"Ranma, have you ever seen yourself drunk? You didn't know what   
you were doing. I've been told I get a little raunchy when you   
get a few beers in me," Nabiki winked, "so I probably dragged you   
to my apartment.  
  
"Oh? Who were these guys that told you that?" Ranma asked   
dangerously, his male ego warred victoriously against his shame.  
  
"How do you know they were guys?" Nabiki asked, earning herself a   
blush from Ranma and diffusing the situation. "Look, buy me a   
beer and we'll call it even."  
  
"Beer?" Ranma asked, eyes wide. He's sworn off drinking forever.  
  
"YOU don't have to drink. Just buy me one."  
  
*^_^*  
  
*Oh, jeez. I knew I shouldn't have bought her another one,* Ranma   
thought as he helped Nabiki to her bed. She bounced once and fell   
to the ground. *Damn, I hope I didn't bruise her.* As he went to   
pick her back up, her arms shot forward to grab him.  
  
"No, don't leave. Stay," Nabiki muttered drowsily.  
  
While the prospect of staying in this room with Nabiki alone again   
was not one of the top ten things he wanted to do, the prospect of   
leaving her alone in this state and having her get herself hurt   
was worse. "Just until you wake up." If she understood him, she   
didn't let him know.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Ranma woke up. He found himself looking up at Nabiki. His head   
was apparently on her lap. *Oh, damn! Oh, damn! Oh, damn!*  
  
Nabiki was well accustomed to the stages of Saotome panic attack   
from her days with Tendo Ranko and Saotome Nodoka. She upended   
the glass of water she had kept on her bed stand on Ranma,   
drenching him with cold water and turning him female. "I didn't   
expect you to wake up so fast," Nabiki said quietly, as Ranma   
sputtered. She took his head off of her lap and allowed him to   
get up.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I just wanted to sit like that for awhile."  
  
"Uh, Nabiki..."  
  
"Don't say anything Ranma. You don't know what's going on and   
you'll just mess everything up when you open your mouth and stick   
your foot in."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Shut up and listen," Nabiki said, having enough with his cutting   
her off. "You know why I dumped Daichi? If found something out   
that I thought was true at the time. I found that I could not   
form even the smallest concept of 'love' that did not include my   
family."  
  
"Here I was, the girlfriend of someone I pictured as my perfect   
man. He was someone I could talk with hours on end about many   
things, rich, fun to be with, and many other little things that   
made up my prince charming. But I found that I didn't love him.   
I liked him, but didn't love him. Or what I thought was love. He   
didn't make me 'whole'.  
  
"When you found me drunk that night, I wasn't drunk because of   
what I lost in him. I was drunk because of what I thought I lost   
in myself. I pitied MYSELF, rather than think of Daichi. At that   
point I felt myself sink even lower."  
  
"Then came something wonderful. You touched me with your power   
and I felt... happy. I've been happy before, but never this   
completely. This went beyond the simple successful money scheme.   
It WAS the reason I worked so hard on this little project of ours.   
And wouldn't you know it, the moment I find a way to escape my   
little problem, I find my answer in you."  
  
"I knew all that."  
  
"Yes. You saw into my mind that day and you didn't flinch. I   
even think you worked to help me. Kami knows that you can't drink   
yet you went out with me all those nights."  
  
"Nabiki, I'm taken," Ranma finally said, sighing feeling the   
weight of the world upon him once again. It was Shampoo and Ukyo   
all over again.  
  
"You are taken." Nabiki said confidently, standing up, her face   
near Ranma's. She kissed him. "By me."  
  
And he was.  
  
*^_^*  
  
"I'm coming, Ranma," Kasumi said, racing to the door.  
  
"Interesting choice of words," Nabiki said, when her sister opened   
the door. She took note of the rather loose bathrobe her sister   
was wearing. Nabiki could tell Kasumi was naked underneath.   
"Interesting way to greet him too."  
  
"Nabiki."  
  
Nabiki felt the air chill suddenly. She ignored it. It would get   
chillier in a moment. "I won't invite myself in. I just wanted   
to let you know that Ranma won't be coming today. He's busy   
planning our wedding."  
  
"I was going to talk to Ranma about that."  
  
"I know. He didn't."  
  
"You aren't right for him, Nabiki."  
  
"I suppose you are?"  
  
"He's Akane's. I've always known that."  
  
"The forbidden fruit of the student and teacher never got to you?"  
  
"He was Akane's."  
  
"Was being the operative word. He's mine now. I found something   
I never had before and I intend to keep it."  
  
*^_^*  
  
Nabiki sighed contently. Project be damned. She WAS happy now   
and forever. Neither the silent weepings of those outside this   
sanctuary nor those inside her heart were enough to deter her of   
that fact.  
  
*^_^*  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
Akane stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling. She wished her father   
had not remodeled the house.  
  
*^_^*  
  
[Great-grandmother!] Shampoo yelled as she pounded frantically   
against the capsule door. Through the window of the capsule she   
could still see Happosai's giant aura slowly fade. The power   
Cologne had used was just as incredible. The clouds of above   
thundered and swirled. The ice beneath them cracked as mother   
earth's heat came out to greet the ending of the world.  
  
*^_^*  
  
"If anybody would have thought up of a computer with multiple   
personalities, I would have thought it was you, Kuno," Ranma   
smirked.  
  
Kuno raged silently as he looked at Ranma. He could still imagine   
him laughing behind his back. They were all laughing behind his   
back. Save her of course. She was the only one with enough   
virtue to mock him to his face and warn him of his mistakes.   
"Nabiki, why did you marry one of lower stature than you. And to   
take his name. An insult to the mighty Tendo name."  
  
Nabiki gave Ranma a small glance which quieted his retort. They   
needed Kuno and his theorized MAGI system. A system designed and   
fitted with three aspects of his personalities. Philosopher,   
Brother, and Man.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Nabiki held up the shirt. It was still warm. "Initiate the   
recovering program! Initiate," she yelled.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Shinnosuke's grandfather forgot. Where his son's forgetfulness   
came from a traumatic incident. His was simply age. He quietly   
fed his grandson some more soup, occasionally pounding the boy   
with his fist because Shinnosuke forgot to open his mouth and eat.  
  
Shinnosuke hated dolls. That was the only thing he could remember   
every day he woke up. He hated dolls, he thought as he watched   
the old person that seemed to live with him feed soup to the   
scarecrow.  
  
*^_^*  
  
"Yes, brother, I'm fine," Kodachi said, holding up her release   
papers proudly. They were the evidence to the world that she was   
sane.  
  
"Finally over that worthless scoundrel," Kuno said before his head   
was rapped repeatedly with Kodachi's gymnastic clubs, "or perhaps   
not."  
  
"I'm over his loss, but he was still my first love," Kodachi said   
warningly, before breaking out into smile again. "Oh, brother,   
I've missed you so."  
  
"As have I," Kuno said gruffly, but there was a twinkle in his   
eye.  
  
"My recovery was due in no small part to a friend I made in the   
institution."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes, you know her too. She would have been the last person I   
would have expected to be silent for four years."  
  
"Her? The one with Kuonji?"  
  
"Amazing that two people that were once rivals could fall in love   
with each other," Kodachi said a bit wistfully. It was equally   
amazing that she could become friends with her two most bitter   
rivals.  
  
Kuno frowned as he watched his sister gaze off blankly. *I will   
have to pay more attention to her,* he thought as he went back to   
work on the program he had started before his sister interrupted   
him. A small cat icon purred as he worked. Cats were the motif   
for his computer and he adorned them everywhere... that villain   
hated them.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Akane looked at the grave and then looked at Nabiki's retreating   
form. "I would have protected him," she whispered.  
  
Nabiki said nothing as she entered the helicopter. *Maybe. But   
could you bring him back.*  
  
*^_^*  
  
"Come to my place tonight," Kuno whispered as she held Nabiki's   
chin up so that he could look into her eyes.  
  
*Harridan,* Kodachi thought from behind the door to her brother's   
office. Nabiki's face was forever burned on her face as she   
watched them kiss through the keyhole.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Shampoo waited. And waited. Ukyo never showed up that night.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Ukyo watched silently at Shampoo from a distance. *I'll come back   
for you, Shampoo. If I succeed, I'll have avenged Ranma. Nabiki   
and whoever is behind her must go down.*  
  
*^_^*  
  
Nabiki watched silently as they dragged the body away from EVA 00.   
Her only tears came from within, but they were directed at a   
smaller body that had been taken from the scene hours earlier. A   
body nobody would ever see. She could still here his words.  
  
"If we have a girl, we'll name her Akane. If it's a boy, we'll   
name him Shinji."  
  
*^_^*  
  
"Close the door behind you," Nabiki said, her voice cold and   
distant.  
  
Tendo Kasumi was not at her usual place behind Nabiki, Kodachi   
noted. Excitement coursed through her as she dropped the papers   
off at the desk. She could imagine that she was just like her   
brother at this moment. So strange that she tried to keep his   
memory alive in certain respects but fought against it in others.   
She stared at her reflection on the marbled shiny floor. Her   
blond hair bore no resemblance to the beautiful, full Kuno locks   
she had inherited from her family, famed for its long ancestry in   
hairdressing.  
  
"Assume the position," Nabiki said, her voice in the same monotone   
sound as before.  
  
Kodachi bent and put her hands on the table. She hoped that   
Nabiki kept the gloves on. Kodachi did not want to see those   
scarred hands that saved HIM.  
  
*^_^*  
  
Akane shuddered as the rocks came crashing down. Nothing hit her,   
however. The giant robot had moved its arm to protect her. She   
looked up at Nabiki's stoic face. Kasumi was not far behind, also   
staring down.  
  
*^_^*  
  
End!  
  



End file.
